The domed city of Evanescence is in ruins. With nowhere to go, prodigy hacker Ellani “Ella” Drexel and a small band of survivors flee to the Undertunnel below their city.

To escape the wasteland she unknowingly created.

But sanctuary is hard to find. With malfunctioning androids and angry rebels at their backs, the group hopes to press on for the neighboring city of Cadence. But Ella’s chosen path is challenging…life-threatening, even. Worse, the boy she loves is acting distant, and not at all like the person she first met in Nexis.

But then Ella learns a secret…and it changes everything. Ella knows she needs to turn back and make a stand to reclaim her home. She’s determined to bring a new—and better—life to all who’ve suffered. Or die trying

Redux is the second installment in author A.L. Davroe's Trickster's series. Redux picks up immediately where Nexis left off. To summarize, Tricksters is a series that is set in a far off future where Global Nuclear War has torn the world apart. The survivors built themselves Dome Cities like Evanescence. In doing so, they separated into two classes: Aristocrats who enjoy all the benefits of Modification and Alterations, & the Disfavored who were born outside of the domed cities and have held resentment against the Aristo's.

Protagonist Ellani (Ella) Drexel is what one would call a Natural. She hasn't had any modifications, or alterations and that is mostly due to her mother's request that she remain who she is and not jump into the deep end of the pool at the first chance she gets to alter her appearances so much so that she can't recognize herself in the mirror. Ellani has been portrayed as a highly intelligent programmer and designer. Her programming part is what has brought us to this point in the series. But, as the author made a point of saying, Ella is stupid smart.

If was Ella's actions in planting a computer virus into the city's artificial intelligence that made it rebel, and begin a killing spree that forced Ella, Quentin, Gus and others into seeking shelter from not only rebels, but also those who were built to protect the city from outsiders. Ella's actions have had far reaching implications for everyone involved, and Ella's own parent's may hold the answer to what really happened, and why.

While Nexus took place mostly in Virtual Reality, this story expands to include Disfavored rebels like Mac, Cairen, Aaron & Delaney, as well as Stormy who I believe we will see even more of if there is a sequel to this story. But, it is Violet who I truly loved. She is a character who is an encyclopedia of information, and is the oldest human being alive. She actually has been there, and done that over the course of her long life. She was the perfect character to add to the story that made Ella feel both alive, and curious about all the knowledge that Violet has to teach the rest of humanity.

Redux gets down to the nitty gritty and answers some pretty important questions as to why Ella was used in such a way that brought so much pain and suffering to a whole lot of people. It also answers a question that has been chafing at my skin since Nexus was released. Who did Ella actually fall for in Nexus? I really like Ella. She is human who makes mistakes. She breaks down emotionally, and then picks herself back up and carries on. Ella could have left the stage at any time, especially after being held prisoner, losing her father, and then losing her legs.

Instead, she's become a leader. She puts a face on the troubles that lie ahead by facing them without shrinking away in disgrace. She doesn't agree with anything that's happened, including her unwitting part in destroying Evanescence, but she know that she has to become the bearer of a whole lot of responsibilities if Aristocrats and Disfavored after going to survive an even more diabolical challenge. She has also clearly found the person she is supposed to be. I dare hope that the author and publisher are working on a sequel to this book. I would love to read about what happens next.

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Hi, I'm Shelley, an avid book reader from Florida by way of New York. I read and review books of MOST GENRE's for my own personal gratification and don't mind if people disagree with my assessment as long as they respect me.
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